White Sox to honor Konerko, Thomas in '14

CHICAGO -- Paul Konerko doesn't want any sort of farewell tour during his 16th and final season on the South Side of Chicago. The White Sox respect that decision, but they also plan some special year-long marketing centered on the heart and soul of their franchise.

Konerko and Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, in fact, will be the focus of this season-long team celebration.

"We have two major things that are going on this year: Frank Thomas is being inducted into the Hall of Fame and it's Paul Konerko's last year," White Sox senior vice president, sales and marketing Brooks Boyer said Sunday at SoxFest. "The guy who is most identifiable with White Sox fans probably ever and the guy that helped us win a World Series and has been a staple for 15 years and is the guy.

"He's who every dad wants their son to be like. We should celebrate them, whether [Konerko] likes it or not."

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.